In the Land of a Billion Lights
by xxredwineandambiencexx
Summary: Caroline is a successful novelist in a city where everyone knows everything about everyone. Niklaus Mikealson is a British born, highly successful musician riding out a bad breakup. She's still trying to figure out why she agreed to date him. In the City of Angels, anything goes. A Bright Lights rewrite.
1. Chapter 1

**I do not own The Vampire Diaries or it's characters. If I did, the Originals would never have happened, Kol would be alive and happily causing mayhem somewhere, and Klaus and Caroline would be travelling the world sexing it up.**

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><p>She's spring cleaning her apartment, air drumming to the latest song by The Originals when the phone rings. She freezes, turning towards the offending object warily.<p>

She keeps a house line for conveniences sake only, barely using it in favour of racking up her cell phone bill every month. In hindsight, probably not the smartest move, but everyone she knows always rings her on her cell anyway so you know, whatever.

The house phone is purely for emergency purposes, say when her phone battery dies and she needs to order in a pizza, or there's a crazy axe murderer running through her house. Whatever comes first really.

With a sigh, she kills the music and picks up the phone.

"So I need your help." Elena says straight away, in lieu of any sort of traditional greeting or 'how are you, how's life?' Caroline sighs instead, propping the phone against her shoulder as she reaches for a cloth and starts wiping down the counter, because that's always been Elena's style, straight to the point and no nonsense.

She loves her for it, but sometimes it drives her just that little bit insane.

"I'm great thanks Elena, how are you?" She replies amusedly, as her best friend huffs out a breath in irritation. It's always like this, the sarcastic back and forth before they finally get to the point of their conversation.

Elena chooses to ignore her in favour of continuing on with her train of thought.

"So I've got this client right? I didn't ask for him, he was sort of pushed upon me without me having any idea. And he's super gorgeous, and super talented, and really really famous right now."

Caroline shakes her head in confusion but waits for the other shoe to drop and for Elena to continue with her tangent. Because she knows that there'll be one, and it will either be spectacular or spell trouble for her. Possibly both. What was the saying? The road to hell is paved with good intentions or something along those lines.

"Except he's a total mess. Got out of a relationship with this girl, and can't seem to pull himself together sort of mess. Drinking, thankfully not hard drugs, but still a nightmare for me to deal with. And he's expected to produce a new album by the end of the year." Elena continues. There's a clinking of a glass in the background and Caroline suspects that Elena's gotten into the bottle of whisky that she bequeathed Elena for Christmas. It was for emergencies only, so she knows that this is sort of serious, because Elena drinking at work is like Father Christmas coming in July.

It's like a light bulb clicking on over her head as she realises who exactly Elena is referring too.

"Klaus Mikaelson right?" She asks suddenly, interrupting Elena mid sentence. There's a long pause, the sound of breathing the only thing that could be heard as her best friend stops to gather her thoughts.

"How did you know that? I only picked him up last week!" Elena exclaimed, the slightest hint of horror leaking through her voice.

Caroline shrugs as she scrubs harder at a particularly stubborn coffee stain on her counter.

"Honey this is how this town works. People talk. A lot. It's all anyone can ever talk about actually. What did you need my help for anyway? As much as I love talking about Klaus Mikaelson with you I really should be you know, working on my next book or something?"

"How is that going by the way?" Elena replies curiously. "Right, not the point. It seems I've completely forgotten that I rang for an actual reason other than to bitch about what a nightmare my job has just become."

Caroline doesn't stop herself from laughing then, because it's such an Elena thing to say. Elena works in Public Relations, or PR as it's more commonly known in Hollywood. And she's the best of the best. People clamour for her to represent them. She's a fixer, she makes things disappear. Caroline doesn't really want to know what Elena has to do to bury some of the stuff she's had to in the past, but she's learnt not to ask too many questions.

"So we sort of need to clean up his image a little bit. His approval is slipping in the public eye, and people are losing interest in him. I'd normally put him in front of a camera with a litter of puppies like I did with Stefan Salvatore in 2011, but I don't think I can get away with doing the same thing twice."

Caroline sighs as Elena continues. This is generally the norm with conversations between her and Elena. The girl seriously is unstoppable, could probably talk for hours if no one bothered to rein her in.

"I need you to date Klaus Mikaelson." Elena finishes, and she gapes into the phone at those words. This is it; her best friend has officially lost her mind.

"Oh my god you're actually being serious about this. First of all, Niklaus Mikaelson is seriously out of my league and we both know it. Second, as you just said he just got out of a relationship and he's an absolute mess. I highly doubt he'll receive your idea with a great amount of enthusiasm. And I honestly cannot just put my life on hold and date Klaus Mikaelson." She finishes, ticking each of the points off on her fingers.

"Come back to the light Elena." She pleads. "You know you don't want to do this. I have cookies!" She adds, like that's magically going to make it all better.

"I can see that you're going to be stubborn about this." Elena replies after a long silence. "Never mind, we'll discuss this tomorrow. Bruch at Miguel's at 11?"

"I hate you." Caroline tells her as the phone clicks and all she hears is a dial tone. Not saying goodbye is an endearing Elena thing as well apparently. And she never has been able to say no to Elena.

The thing is, she sort of owes Elena big time. When she'd first come out here with the intention of writing, it had been Elena that had let her crash on her couch rent free, demanding only cooked meals and contribution to the upkeep of the apartment in return until she had found her feet.

And found her feet she had.

Elena is in a committed relationship with Damon Salvatore, a big time record company owner/producer who Caroline sort of loves and sort of hates at the same time.

Damon assures her repeatedly that the feeling is mutual. Their relationship works. That and she promised to creatively murder Damon if he ever hurt Elena in any way, shape, or form. She's waiting for Damon to actually get around to asking Elena to marry him, because they've been together for almost 5 years now and she's sort of itching to plan a wedding.

Her first book stayed on the best sellers list for almost 3 months, and the amount of copies sold basically meant that she'd never have to work a day in her life again if she didn't want to. But she'd never been the type to sit around and do nothing, so she does a bit of column writing on the side for some of the teen magazines when she's not working on her follow up novel.

So yeah, her life is sort of great at the moment. She has Bonnie Bennett, a top model on her speed dial, she has a kickass apartment in downtown LA, and she's best friends with a rock star.

Kol Mikaelson is the front man of The Originals, the biggest band around at the moment. He's a big partier, really enjoying the rock and roll lifestyle and the fast cars and the women and the money. He's a bad influence but he's also possibly her favourite person in the world.

Of course, the first time they'd met Kol had tried to get her into his bed, but she'd turned him down pretty quickly. A part of her thinks that Kol had been mildly impressed, because they'd kept bumping into each other at parties and events, and they'd gotten to know a little more about each other each time.

Soon they'd been hanging out outside of any official events. She's not quite sure when Kol became her best friend, but he seemingly ingratiated himself into her life without her even realising. And honestly, she wouldn't have it any other way.

Beneath the polished veneer that he presents to the media, Kol is a natural charmer, incredibly mischievous and in possession of a self depreciating sense of humour that always gets her laughing and forgetting about her worries.

The sound of someone hammering on her door interrupts her train of thought. She resigns herself to the fact that her spring cleaning time is over, and steps carefully around her furniture to wrench the door open.

Think of the devil and he doth appear.

Kol Mikaelson is leaning up against the door jamb, arm braced against the frame. He's carrying a bottle of vodka (of course he is), and shoots her a lazy grin as he bounces into her apartment.

"Hello darling." He presses a quick kiss to her cheek, moving further into her apartment and making a beeline for the kitchen.

"By all means step into my apartment Kol. And should I even ask why you're carrying around a bottle of vodka at one o'clock in the afternoon?"

Kol rolls his eyes, choosing to ignore her as he rummages around in her cupboards for two glasses. He splashes some vodka into both, topping it up with pineapple juice from her fridge.

She steps up to the island, picking up one of the glasses and giving it an experimental swirl.

"We're celebrating!" Kol declares with a cheer as he knocks back his drink.

"You know it's usually standard protocol to inform the other person of what we're celebrating before you start drinking." She points out as Kol wipes the back of his hand across his mouth.

"Right yes. So my older brother has dropped that awful girlfriend of his. The media might tell you otherwise, but Tatia Petrova is an absolute bitch." Kol replies as she very quickly puts two and two together.

Kol is one of six children, with three brothers being older than him. The eldest, Finn Mikaelson reportedly doesn't have a lot to do with the family, choosing to settle in England with his wife and child and away from the bright lights of this city.

The second eldest, Elijah Mikaelson is a high profile news anchor on Channel 4. He's also sort of terrifying in real life. She'd met him only once, and found his demeanour to be highly intimidating. Considering he'd been in a long term relationship and was engaged to Katherine Pierce, she figured there was definitely more to Elijah than met the eye.

So of course, after her conversation with Elena, Kol could only be talking about Niklaus Mikaelson.

Niklaus Mikaelson was an incredibly successful solo musician. He'd only released two albums, his debut going straight to number one, and his second matching that effort. He'd won a whole bunch of awards and accolades, and from all reports was still actually a decent fucking human being which was extremely rare in this industry.

It was part of the reason why she had both of his albums and probably every acoustic version of his songs in existence. It amused Kol to no end to see just how big a fan of his brother's music she was.

"I was going to see if he wanted to come out with us tonight, but it would be such a drag having to make sure that he's not going to fall face first into the nearest glass of bourbon. He seems to be favouring alcohol over actual human interaction at the moment." Kol remarks dryly as she sighs.

"A normal coping mechanism given the circumstances." She tells Kol who rolls his eyes.

"I heard your best friend is his PR person as well. She's going to need some hard liquor very soon." Kol continues conversationally as he pours himself another drink. She tries not to notice just how much vodka goes into it.

"Yeah well if anyone can get your brother back on track it's Elena." Caroline remarks, because it's definitely true.

"Elena is a very scary person. I don't doubt it even a bit. Are you going to be boring and stay inside tonight, or are you going to come out on the town with me?"

It's a stock standard Kol Mikaelson question every Friday night, and she usually turns him down. Tonight is no different.

"Oh Christ you're so boring sometimes." Kol scolds her as she punches him in the arm.

"I'm sorry, but some of us actually have to work for our money." She replies teasingly. "I really need to get another chapter to my editor." She clarifies as Kol nods in understanding.

"I'll accept that excuse." Kol pulls his phone out of his pocket and checks it. "Duty calls it would seem. Sunday debrief?" He asks, referring to their usual Sunday catchup, in which Kol attempts to detox through the consumption of smoothies and pancakes over breakfast after sleeping away his Saturday.

"I'll be there." She promises, as Kol swipes the bottle of vodka from the counter, tucking it under her arm and giving her a jaunty salute.

And really, she has to wonder sometimes how this is even her life.

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><p>Its hours later after she sends her completed chapter off to her editor that Caroline casts her mind back to her conversation with Elena.<p>

It only takes a few seconds to pull up Google. Caroline pauses as she flexes her fingers, wondering if she's really going to go down this particular rabbit hole before she types in the name _'Niklaus Mikaelson' _into the search bar and hits enter.

Thousands of hits come in almost instantly, and she scrolls past the first few ones. There's a Wikipedia entry on him, a couple of fan sites, but she's not looking for that. She clicks on a few news articles, and she's met instantly with a picture of Klaus and a gorgeous brunette, a brunette that she recognises almost instantly.

If she didn't know better she would say that she's Elena down to the very last curled piece of hair. But as she looks closer she can see that there are differences. The cheekbones are sharper; the eyes are colder, the curl of her lips when she smiles is different.

_Tatia Petrova. _The caption proclaims.

Looking at Klaus, you can't deny that he loves her. Or he loved her. A quick scan of the article tells her that it was distance that drove them apart, and her highly publicised fling with her co-star, Mason Lockwood was the final nail in the coffin so to speak.

The articles that follow paint a tragic sort of story, the once relevant musician with songs almost like poetry now fading into obscurity, while Tatia's star burns almost as bright as a supernova. Apparently cheating on someone is the prime way to elevate your status in Hollywood, because she's been flooded with work in the past couple of weeks.

She would feel sorry for Niklaus, but she doesn't even know him.

Although if Elena has her way she'll no doubt get to know him very soon.

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><p><strong>AN: Hello all. This is a rewrite of my previous story, Bright Lights. <strong>

**A note on the Kol/Caroline relationship: The two are best friends, a totally platonic relationship with zero feelings and sex involved. **

**I'll continue with this when I have the time!**

**New title comes from the song 'City of Angels' by 30 Seconds to Mars. **


	2. Chapter 2

**I do not own The Vampire Diaries or it's characters. If I did, The Originals would never have happened, Kol would be alive and happily causing mayhem somewhere and Klaus and Caroline would be travelling the world and sexing it up.**

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><p><em>"It just sort of happened really. I mean, I guess the heart wants what it wants." <em>

She scoffs as on her television screen Tatia Petrova pauses for effect. It's an absolutely masterful move, and one not entirely unexpected considering her clout in the acting world. She mutes the button before she can hear anything else, shaking her head at how she's curled around Mason Lockwood on the talk show lounge they're sharing.

"Unbelievable." She mutters under her breath as she downs the rest of her orange juice before leaning down to place it in the dishwasher. Her phone buzzes on the counter, Kol's name flashing across the screen as she picks up.

"Are you seeing this shit?" Kol asks loudly as she holds the phone away from her with a wince. "This girl is ridiculous." He adds with a scoff.

"Remind me again why your brother decided to stick around with her for so long?" She asks out loud as she taps her fingernails against the counter.

She didn't really know a lot about Tatia Petrova. Well, before this morning she didn't know a lot about Tatia.

But since her appearance on The Today Show with Mason to promote their latest movie it feels like she knows her entire tragic sob story, including how it was 'distance' that eventually drove her and Klaus apart and had her running into Mason's arms.

"Honestly darling, I'm just as lost as you are." Kol begins with a sigh. "What's on your agenda for today?"

"Brunch with Elena at Miguel's in 20 minutes actually. I'd ask you to join but I have a feeling that you're still in bed. And probably not alone." She remarks pointedly as Kol laughs quietly into her ear.

"You know me too well love. I'll let you go then, I've got a hanger on to turf."

There's a click and a dial tone as Kol hangs up on her abruptly. She just shakes her head at her best friend's habits, already envisioning Kol attempting to wrestle a leggy blonde or brunette or redhead out of his apartment.

Miguel's is an upmarket French bakery in town, and anyone who's anyone is seen at the morning after a big night out on the town, or just mornings in general.

She feels fresh, rejuvenated by the fact that she's actually on track with her writing for once and loving the feeling of the sun beating down on her pleasantly. She strides confidently along the pavement phone in her hand and her skirt fluttering against her thighs.

The street is busy as usual, filled with commuters in corporate wear on their way to work and the occasional balding fat guy that is synonymous with a paparazzo. She pastes a smile on her face, just in case they decide that she's going to be relevant today. They usually only take her photo when it's a slow news day, and the tabloids want to pick apart her relationship, or lack thereof with Kol.

She's lost count of the number of times that Kol has had to deny that there's anything between them, but people never seem to believe him and just keep talking and coming back for more.

She has to be careful what she says about him as well, lest any innocent words about him get misconstrued and twisted beyond recognition. Such is the nature of the life that Kol chooses to live in the spotlight.

She pushes her way into the dimly lit bakery, eyes landing on her other best friend almost immediately.

Elena is slumped down in her seat and obviously nursing a hangover if the dark glasses masking her features is any indication. She tones down the cheeriness a notch as she slides into the seat opposite her

"Do you need anything? Aspirin? Water? Bloody Mary?" She asks sweetly as Elena lowers her sunglasses just enough to shoot her a murderous glare.

She just laughs at the sour expression on her friend's face. This is a rare occurrence, Elena being hung over and she plans on enjoying it while she can.

"Oh sweetheart. Here. Take two of these and drink that whole glass before you go back into work today." She adds, motioning to the glass of water and handing her two Advil that she carries around her in her purse.

Elena grudgingly knocks back the pills before composing herself. Caroline calls it her business face, when she really gets going and gets in the zone. So with a sigh she waves the waiter over, ordering her usual.

"So have you given much thought to my idea?" Elena asks, a little brighter as she sits up a little straighter in her chair.

She lets out a burst of laughter before falling silent, because holy shit Elena is actually being serious about this.

"I'm not really sure why you're asking me of all people." She admits grudgingly after being the recipient of one hell of a glare from her best friend.

Elena lifts one shoulder in a half shrug of sorts.

"It's quite simple really. People like stability, and this entire industry thrives on the idea of two mutually beautiful people in a relationship with each other. It's been made very clear by my boss that Klaus is priority number one for me at the moment, I've had to pass off some of my other clients to associates." She says, rolling her eyes with a sigh.

She whistles lowly as she leant forwards in her chair, pouring herself a glass of water. Elena giving away clients is unprecedented, the girl had always been able to juggle 4 or 5 celebrities and their lives without breaking a sweat.

So this is big. This is really big if Elena is choosing to admit this to her.

"I need someone I can trust." Elena begins with a sigh. You don't have a drug problem, you don't have many skeletons in your closet, and you're a hell of a lot more put together than most of the candidates his team gave me to consider." She finishes with as scoff.

"Elena." Caroline interrupts. Elena ignores her, barrelling on in typical Elena Gilbert fashion.

"We don't need someone famous, he's already famous enough as is. I need someone normal, someone that will make him look human as well. And this is where you come in." Elena waves a hand towards her with a tired smile.

She just blinks at her oldest friend, wondering if she's finished or if she's allowed to speak now.

"You're acting like I'm going to agree to this." She points out casually.

Elena looks supremely confident in her abilities of persuasion as she smiles across the table at her.

"Of course you're going to agree, it's Niklaus Mikaelson. You only had his last album on repeat for 2 months wasn't it?"

She tries to hide her blush because it's true, she has both of Klaus' albums and they're both very worn in. Kol teased her about it for weeks after he found the copies sitting on top of her stereo.

"And if I do actually agree to this, what's it going to entail exactly?" She asks, speaking purely in hypothetical's here. Because she most certainly is not agreeing to this ridiculous idea that Elena's fixated on.

Elena grins at her.

"Oh you'll go to a few events; we'll set up a few shots of you leaving his house in the morning, go and have dinner with him. You don't have to sleep with him or anything, just make it seem like you are. The press eats that shit up." She declares with an entirely unladylike snort.

"Once we get him back in the charts, the two of you can say your farewells and go your separate ways. We can do cross promotion as well if you'd like, it should boost sales of your book or presales at the very least." Elena muses thoughtfully, reaching for her coffee and taking a sip.

"That is most definitely not necessary. I can sell copies of my book on my own you know." She replies as her food arrives in front of her. She spreads a napkin across her lap, eyeing off her croissant with glee.

"I know you can. But the offer is there if you'd like it. So should I make the arrangements? It's only for a couple of months, and you'd really be doing me a massive favour here." Elena says quietly as she sighs.

She's lost count of the number of favours that she owes her best friend as she stares across the table at her. She weighs up the pros and cons in her head quickly, mind working a mile a minute to process all the new information that's been dumped on her so suddenly.

On the one hand, it was Niklaus Mikaelson, who wrote songs that made her weak at the knees, was incredibly gorgeous, and seemed like an okay sort of person.

On the other hand he was probably incredibly damaged, and probably wanted absolutely nothing to do with her. She's quite sure that the news Elena will break to him will be received with absolutely zero enthusiasm given the nature and ending of his previous relationship.

And she honestly doesn't blame him one bit. The last thing that she'd even want to think about doing would be to get back into the dating game, especially with someone that she's never met and knows nothing about.

But she can't help but feel for him, the circumstances of his relationship falling apart so similar to her last one.

"I'll do it." She tells her best friend quietly, picking apart her croissant half heartedly as Elena pulls out her phone once more.

"You're the best babe. You won't regret it I promise." Elena murmurs distractedly as she rapidly types out a message.

As she takes a bite of her pastry, she can't help but wonder just what she's getting into.

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><p>She spends three minutes hammering on the door of Kol's apartment before the door finally swings open with a scowl. Kol appears on the threshold, glare turning to a delighted grin when he catches sight of her.<p>

She doesn't stop for a hello, barging past him and into his apartment. She heads straight to the bar that Kol had installed when he'd first moved in, because it's a typical Kol move and he's sort of a rock star, and having a bar in your million dollar penthouse apartment is sort of a requirement these days apparently.

She reaches straight for the bottle of Grey Goose and takes a long swig.

Kol ignores her in favour of tapping out a message on his phone, and so she continues working through the bottle of vodka on her own. Finally, he turns on the sound system and comes to join her, hopping up on the bar and motioning for her to hand the bottle over.

She closes her eyes as the sounds of Coldplay flood the apartment, serving well as a means of calming her down, even if it is only a little bit.

"You know I'm not opposed to day drinking as you well know, but this is a bit early even for you darling." Kol points out as she glances at his watch. "What's up? It's not every day that you body check me into a wall and start swigging a bottle of vodka like it's mouth wash." He remarks conversationally as he takes another swig of alcohol.

She pokes a finger into his chest and he catches it, pulling her closer across the surface of the bar.

"What happened?" He repeats quietly, brushing some hair out of her eyes. This is the Kol that she really loves sometimes, the boy that she's so fond of yet wants to kill on a daily basis all at the same time.

Kol might be a dick sometimes, but he really cares about the people that he cherishes, and she's grateful that she's one of them, even if their friendship is a bit touch and go sometimes.

"I'm going to be dating your older brother soon." She blurts out suddenly. Kol doesn't look surprised, more amused as he takes in the distressed expression on her face.

"I wasn't aware Elijah was back on the market. Poor Katerina must be inconsolable." Kol jokes with a smirk on his face. "I know darling, Elena already called." He adds as he passes the bottle back to her.

She doesn't want to know how exactly Elena has Kol's number but again, it's one of those questions that she just doesn't ask. She takes another swig of the bottle, passing it back to Kol, who instead chooses to return it to it's place behind the bar.

"You're not mad?" She questions in a quiet voice as she sighs, letting him sling an arm comfortingly around her shoulders. He rubs a hand up and down her arm silently as they sit together in peace for a long moment.

"Of course not. You'll always be my best friend. And I get an excuse to punch Nik in the face if he hurts you, so there's that as well." Kol notes with a soft chuckle.

There's a comfortable silence between them as she listens to the steady beating of Kol's heart, and she lets out a relieved breath.

"You know it's probably for the best anyway. I'm going on tour soon, and I was worried about you being lonely. If anyone can put him back together, it's you." Kol tells her quietly, and it's then that she realises that Kol's very much aware of what sort of arrangement she'll have with his older brother.

One of the most common misconceptions that people have about Kol is that he's stupid. She supposes it comes with the territory of being an internationally renowned musician, but Kol didn't get where he is today just off looks and his charm.

Kol is brilliant, incredibly intelligent with a calculating mind. He just chooses to not make it an obvious thing, choosing instead to circumnavigate the myriad of people who are waiting to tear him down with a subtlety that belies his true personality.

Kol's quite a passionate person, if you get close enough to witness it. She's seen him with children, doing charity work and the smile on his face isn't pasted on for the cameras to see, it's a genuine one that he saves only for the special moments in his life.

"Promise me we'll still be best friends?" She asks in a small voice as Kol rakes a hand through his unruly hair.

"Well I guess I'll have to stick around. My brother isn't as exciting as I am you know?" Kol laughs as she whacks him on the arm. "Of course we'll still be best friends you idiot." He presses a smacking kiss to the side of her head as she scowls at him.

Kol hops down from the bar, holding out a hand to help her down.

"Come on then. I've got an interview in an hour and you need to sleep it off. Let me call you a cab."

* * *

><p>"You have a date with Klaus Mikaelson?" Bonnie arches an eyebrow incredulously as she flicks through the racks of the boutique they're in. The shop attendant is eyeing them curiously as they move further into the shop, but turns away quickly once she levels a glare at her.<p>

But then again she sort of doesn't really blame her. It's not every day that a Victoria's Secret model just strolls into your boutique one summer's day.

That's just Bonnie though, she might have a wardrobe full of designer clothes but she swears by the little boutiques that have popped up all over the city in the past few years.

"It's a fake date." Caroline clarifies with a hiss. "A highly publicised, fake date." She adds through gritted teeth.

Bonnie flashes her brilliant smile as she laughs, but moves closer and lowers her voice as well.

"Fake date then. Is this why you invited me shopping with you?" She asks curiously as Caroline nods furiously, continuing to flick through the racks of dresses, nothing really jumping out at her yet.

Bonnie grabs a random dress and holds it up to Caroline, tongue clucking as she shakes her head disapprovingly.

"I don't have anything date appropriate to wear. I haven't needed to go on a date since I arrived in this city." Caroline remarks with a sigh. Shit had it really been that long?

"And how has Kol reacted to the news that you're dating his older brother now?" Bonnie makes air quotations around the word dating and she tries not to wince at how juvenile the term really sounds.

"Surprisingly well all things considered. I think he was secretly relieved that it was me and not some random floozy that Elena had found on the streets." She replies with a giggle.

Bonnie laughs along with her.

"I bet he actually said floozy didn't he? Bless him he's so British. I'd date him myself if he wasn't so frustratingly arrogant and if I didn't have Jeremy."

"You know I still don't get what you see in him. You could have any guy that you want and you settle for Elena's younger brother?" Caroline says somewhat incredulously. "Didn't Leo DiCaprio ask for your number a few weeks ago?"

Bonnie just smiles fondly, shaking her head.

"I couldn't handle a guy like that. Jeremy's normal. It's so refreshing when you work in the fashion industry, to find someone who's just down to earth and just gets you."

Caroline throws her head back and laughs.

"Don't you feel like a cougar though? The kid's still in college after all."

Bonnie just shakes her head as she grins at Caroline.

"It's only three years between us Care. That's nothing in the real world. One day you'll find someone like that, someone who just gets you and makes it all seem so easy. Maybe it might even be Klaus." She says teasingly with a nudge.

Bonnie holds another dress up against her, stopping and staring. Slowly, a smile spreads across her face as she looks Caroline up and down.

"I think we have a winner."

* * *

><p>The dress is a rainbow splattering of paint on a white background and it the heels she's paired it with make her tanned legs look a mile long.<p>

She looks good. She knows she looks good, and Kol had demanded a picture before sending her back half a dozen emoticons that she's assuming is meant to be some form of positive reinforcement.

This is why she doesn't understand why Klaus is 20 minutes late for their date.

The waiter approaches her again as she sips at the wine she ordered 10 minutes ago, because she figures if he's going to make her wait she can do it on his dime and order obscenely expensive wine to boot.

"Sorry miss? Are you sure you didn't want to order anything?" He asks sympathetically.

Caroline smiles politely at him, not missing the way that his eyes linger over her body as he tries to maintain some semblance of professionalism.

"I'm fine thankyou. My date is running a bit late, I'll order when he gets here." She replies with a curt nod.

The waiter offers a short bow.

"Very well then miss. Let me know if you need anything."

"Thankyou, I'll definitely let you know." She replies with another polite smile, anger slowly building inside of her with each new person that comes through the door, people that are most definitely not Niklaus Mikaelson.

The waiter scurries off to the kitchen again, and she glances at her watch for the umpteenth time. Pulling out her phone, she sends off a quick message to Elena.

_He's 20 minutes late. Not impressed so far._

Elena's response is almost instantaneous, like she knew that this would be a problem, like she anticipated something like this occurring.

_Working on it. He's not picking up his phone. _

She suppresses the urge to growl as she downs the rest of her glass of wine.

_Do something about it. This is embarrassing. _She replies quickly as she drums her fingers against the table.

Her phone buzzes in her hand again, and instead of a text it's a call. From Kol to be more exact. She frowns at the ID for only a moment before answering the call.

"What is it Kol?" She asks impatiently, glancing around at the restaurant. Other patrons had started to realise that she was alone, some whispering behind their hands.

There's an incredible amount of background noise seeping through the line from Kol's end, and she deduces that he's no doubt at a bar drinking again. No surprises there.

"So I could be wrong, but when I drove past Nik's house to pick up a mate just twenty minutes ago, his car was still in the driveway. Did your date really go that bad?" Kol begins conversationally, and she has to fight the urge to let out a strangled scream.

The son of a bitch had stood her up. She was not the sort of girl that you stand up at a date.

Waving over the nearest waiter, she handed over the black AMEX Elena had bequeathed her with earlier today and instructed him to close the tab or bill or whatever the fuck they did here.

And then he got her to point her to the back exit, because she was not going out the front entrance tonight. She might be best friends with a problematic rock star, but she still had a reputation to maintain, and she would not be having people know that she was stood up on a date.

"Thanks Kol." She finally replies before hanging up, taking back the credit card and tucking her purse under her arm. Her heels click against the tile of the kitchen as she's waved through to the back. She quickly types out a message to Elena.

_He's still at home, Kol just informed me a minute ago._

Again, Elena's reply is almost immediate.

_Meet you on 18__th__ street, be there in 5. _

She drops her phone into her purse, pushing the heavy metal door open. The cool air against her face is such a pleasant contrast to the stuffiness inside the restaurant, and she lets out a sigh as she picks her way to the front of the alley that opens onto the street.

The pavement is teeming with people and she melts right into the well dressed crowd, letting herself drift along with the people until she's at her agreed meeting spot with Elena.

True to her word, two minutes later and Elena's pulling up in Damon's bright blue camaro, leaning over to throw open the passenger door.

"I'm so sorry Caroline." Elena begins quickly. "If I'd known he was going to pull this shit I wouldn't have asked you do to this tonight." She adds as she glances over her shoulder before pulling out into the traffic.

She doesn't know why she's so furious, it's not like it was a real date as such, but she's taking time and effort to actually do this, so the least that he could do is show up and pretend that he's having a good time.

Elena quickly takes a route through the busy city streets that takes them further out of the perimeter, winding up through the hills to where all the gated mansions are.

"We're going to his house?" She asks in surprise as Elena pulls onto a quiet street. Palm trees line the centre island, and the houses sprawl over thousands of square metres, most if not all multiple stories hidden behind gates and fences.

Elena swings into the drive of a Mediterranean style mansion, leaning out the window to punch a long and complicated code into the gate.

"We need to at least make sure that he's alive, even if he is in no shape to go out tonight." Elena replies as she draws the car to a halt before kicking open the door. "Come on." She calls over her shoulder.

She feels strange being here, like she's intruding on something incredibly private. But all the same she can't help but gawk at the gorgeous house in front of her, so carefully and meticulously maintained.

Elena has a spare set of keys that she uses to unlock the heavy wooden door, and before she knows it she's being pulled inside the house after her best friend.

She's not sure what she was expecting really, but she's surprised at how light and open plan everything is. The architecture is beautiful, one room flowing into the other, the wall to ceiling windows on the opposite side of the house providing stunning views of the city laid out beneath them..

She can just see the infinity pool beyond the glass windows, and she really wants to step closer and drink it all in, but it's not her house, and not her place.

Elena doesn't seem to share her reservations, striding forward, heels clicking against the marbled floor of the foyer.

"Klaus? Klaus are you home?" Elena yells, voice bouncing off the walls and echoing strangely around them.

She shivers, the openness of the house giving her chills.

"What the bloody hell is all this racket?" A voice echoes above them as she cranes her neck back towards the mezzanine.

Niklaus Mikaelson is leaning against the banister, glaring down at Elena with his jaw set. He looks a little worse for wear, days old stubble scattered across his cheeks, shirt wrinkled and hair untidy.

"Did you miss the half a dozen reminders that you had a date tonight?" Elena asks incredulously, hands planted on her hips as she glares right back at him. It's an interesting stand off to watch, the high flying publicist and the world famous musician.

And then Klaus' eyes flick over to her, and she can't help but feel incredibly self conscious as he looks her up and down languidly.

"Who the bloody hell are you?" He asks abruptly, even a little rudely as she blinks back at him in shock. This is most definitely not the Niklaus Mikaelson that she's a fan of.

"I'm Caroline. Your date." She replies, a little lamely as she glances down at her feet.

"Right." Klaus states with a sigh. "Elena, with all respect, I told you that I wasn't really keen on the idea of dating." Klaus directs towards her best friend, who runs a hand through her hair tiredly.

"And my hands are tied Klaus, as you well know. My boss is pushing me for results, and this means that I have to push you. Just give Caroline a chance, she's a lovely girl and I think the two of you will get along well." Elena says with a winning smile.

"Elena. I said no." Klaus returns with a frown. "Now please get out of my house." He adds pointedly.

"I'll be back tomorrow." Elena vows as she turns on her heel, ushering her back towards the front door.

"Can't wait." Klaus replies sarcastically, throwing the both of them a jaunty salute before disappearing further into the house.

Elena lets the heavy door slam behind them, before slumping against the surface with a tired groan.

"You good?" She asks of the other girl, who shakes her head before turning to her.

"We are so fucked."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: What's this? An update of Uneasy Lies the Head AND this bad boy? I was feeling super inspired this week hope you guys enjoy both. <strong>

**There may be a few familiar elements in this story, but I'm changing things around big time.**

**Reviews feed the muse! **

**Katie xx**


	3. Chapter 3

**I do not own the Vampire Diaries or its characters. If I did, the Originals would never have happened, Kol would be alive and happily causing mayhem somewhere, and Klaus and Caroline would be travelling the world and sexing it up. **

* * *

><p>"So you told Elena that you were out?" Kol asks with a wearied smile as he pours the batter into a pan. He looks slightly comical like this, shirt off and dishtowel slung over his shoulder. Some of his hair is sticking up from where his cheek had pressed into the mattress and there's still tell tale creases lining his cheek.<p>

She muffles her yawn with a fist as she nods. After being stood up by Klaus, Elena had dropped her back at her apartment and she'd promptly called Kol.

He'd sent a car for her and they'd spent the better part of the night and the early hours of the morning tearing up the dance floors of some of the city's hottest clubs. Her feet were aching, and her ears were ringing from the echo of the heavy bass line that she swears she can still hear.

Kol staying over at her house is a common thing, and they've become pretty great at losing the paparazzi, usually by sneaking Kol in through the service elevator to her building. Her doorman is pretty discreet having known her for a few years now.

Kol himself looks a little worse for wear as he blinks down at the batter, checking it every now and then before turning his clouded gaze back on her as if seeking clarification.

"He's a mess right now. It's absolutely the last thing he needs." She finally says as she lifts a shoulder and reaches for the mug of tea that Kol had thoughtfully prepared for her.

"As much as I'm on your side in this instance darling, I have to say I don't exactly blame him. The poor bastard has become the world's most famous jilted lover around right now." Kol points out as he flips the batter, a pleased noise escaping from his lips.

"I don't hate him." She admits out loud as she takes another sip of her tea. "I sort of feel sorry for him actually." She adds quietly, pulling her laptop towards her and opening a new screen.

"You better not mention that around him." Kol warns her. "Nik hates it when people feel sorry for him. A fatal flaw I think." He adds with a snort.

She winces as Kol ladles the now formed pancake onto a plate and drops it in front of her.

"Are the two of you close? I don't really hear you talk about him much." She points out as she squeezes lemon onto her pancake before rolling it up like a burrito.

Kol leans against the counter, slinging a dish cloth over his shoulder.

"When we were younger we got along alright. We were both into the whole music thing so I guess that served as a way to bring us closer together. But when he packed up and moved to America we lost touch. He was far too busy launching his own career and I was trying to kick start my own in the UK."

Kol was born and raised in England. It's easy to forget sometimes, because he talks about America as if he's been living here for his whole life rather than just 5 years.

He and his mates had been fresh out of high school when they'd been discovered playing their original stuff in a London pub. They'd already had quite the large following thanks in part to their covers on YouTube.

The rest of the UK had quickly fallen in love with them, and their rise had been meteoric. They'd spent a year living in the UK as a band before they'd packed up and gone to the USA, the fans ready to welcome them with open arms.

2 very successful global albums and 2 world tours later and the Originals were going nowhere but up. Kol was effortlessly charming as the front man, and she'd lost count of the amount of times that he's had creepy letters from girls proclaiming their undying love.

Kol finishes making his own breakfast and comes to take a seat next to her, nudging her with his elbow.

"So it's just that you lost touch? There's nothing sinister that I have to worry about? No skeletons in your closet?" She questions teasingly as Kol rolls his eyes.

"There's nothing on my end darling. Now come on, let's get going with this song writing business." He nudges her elbow as he shovels pancakes into his mouth.

She'd expressed an interest in song writing after seeing Kol in action. Despite his warnings that song writing was absolutely nothing like writing a novel she'd persisted anyway, wanting to see what all of the fuss was about.

Kol had been teaching her bits and pieces here and there, but it was still something that she struggled with.

"It's easier to write about something you're familiar with." Kol points out quietly, not wanting to disturb her train of thought too much.

"Close the laptop and get back to basics. It's always better when you've got a pen in your hand."

* * *

><p>Stefan Salvatore is leaning up against the side of his SUV when she skips down the steps to meet him. He glances around his Ray Ban's at her before his face crinkles into a smile.<p>

He meets her halfway as she flings her arms around his neck. Along with her and Elena, Stefan had formed the third part of their trio, best friends throughout high school and beyond. He'd left for LA around the same time Elena had, right after high school had finished.

Stefan had always been a looker, with the sharp cheekbones, defined jaw line, and the striking green brown eyes. He hadn't even set foot in LA before he'd been discovered by a modelling scout, and just like that his career had taken off.

He'd only had to crash at his older brother Damon's mansion for 3 months before he could afford his own place. He'd been the face of half a dozen big brands, Burberry and Tommy Hilfiger included.

He'd also gone off the rails. Stefan had never been great with moderation; it was always all or nothing with him. The modelling scene was cutthroat over here, the party scene even more so. Young and impressionable at just 18 years of age, Stefan had very quickly fallen in with the wrong people, and it had taken Damon shipping him off to rehab for him to wake up and get his act together.

Four years later Stefan was back in the game and definitely in control of himself.

"How are you doing?" She breathes into his neck as his arms tighten around her waist oh so briefly. He steps back, giving her a beaming smile.

"I'm fine Care." He emphasises, frowning slightly at the concerned look painted across her features. "Really I am."

"I believe you. But you know me; I'm a worrier by nature." She teases him as he opens the door for her and helps her up into the passenger's seat. Ever the gentlemen, Stefan was.

Stefan settles back into his seat before bothering to reply.

"I know. It's why you're my best friend." He gives her a quick smile before he pulls out into the traffic.

"So what can I expect from this party anyway?" She asks curiously. It's been awhile since she's been around to Damon's, and he's known all through the city for his lavish parties.

Stefan rolls his eyes, as if agreeing with her unspoken assessment of his brother.

"Over the top and ostentatious as per normal for my brother. Plenty of alcohol and women I'm sure."

"At least it's not themed." She points out with a soft laugh. "We all know how that ended up last year."

Stefan visibly shudders.

"Don't remind me."

It's easy to fall back into the same patterns and routines with Stefan. It always had been, even if they hadn't seen each other for weeks and months. It's a mark of true friendship she thinks.

Stefan's modelling had taken a back seat recently now that he'd started a relationship. She hadn't yet had the pleasure of meeting Rebekah, but from all reports she was a complete nobody on the scene, a high flying and ambitious lawyer.

And really, she can't help but think a bit of normality would be good for Stefan after everything that's happened. It was pretty refreshing actually.

Stefan turns into the drive then, weaving the car slowly around well heeled partygoers all streaming towards the front doors of Damon's mansion, which had been flung wide open to accommodate all the guests.

Despite the apparent openness of the scene before her, she knew that Damon would probably have plain clothes security mingling amongst the well dressed crowd, not to mention people at the door checking off ID's against the guest list.

The perks of being the plus one to the host's little brother, Stefan simply swings into the garage and leads her around the back way.

The party is happening around the massive infinity pool, half a dozen or so bikini clad girls sunning themselves on lounges, Bonnie Bennett included. The model gives her a wave and blows Stefan a kiss before she's drawn back into conversation.

Damon is holding court by the makeshift bar that's been set up, and his smile widens when he sees her and his brother. He pushes away from the three men he'd been entertaining, making a beeline for them. She might have a love hate relationship with Damon, but he can be a charming bastard when he wants to be.

She refrains from snatching back her hand when he grabs it, pressing an exaggerated kiss to the back of it before ruffling Stefan's hair good naturedly.

"Welcome, lovely to see you both as always. Stef I wanted to introduce you to someone, Blondie, try and find Elena will you and convince her to start drinking. She's far to wound up and needs to relax." Damon instructs rapidly as he steers Stefan away from her.

With a sigh, she tucks her clutch under her arm and resigns herself to hunting down her other best friend. She passes Kol on the way, deep in conversation with his latest conquest no doubt, but he still pauses long enough to throw her a wink and raise his glass towards her with an appreciative glance.

The girl he's with turns long enough to give her a chilling glare. If looks could kill…

With a soft laugh she makes her way up the stairs and into the cool interior of Damon's house. The press of people are less here, and as expected she spots Elena right away in the kitchen, swirling her drink round and around.

"Elena." She calls softly, snapping the brunette out of her trance.

Damon was right, Elena does look wound up. But most of all she looks _exhausted. _There are prominent bags under her eyes and her smile is wearied as her best friend's eyes finally meet hers.

"Hey Care. I'm not really in the mood for a party." Elena begins as she tips back her glass and downs her drink in one.

"That much is obvious. Need to talk about it?" She probes gently, not sure what sort of mood Elena is in today.

Despite the measure of control that Elena's so well known for, she's known Elena long enough to know that she's incredibly volatile at times. And that alone is dangerous, and enough to set off warning bells in her mind every time Elena gets like this.

Elena can go from deadly calm to quietly angry in the space of thirty seconds if she's worn down enough. And honestly she's not sure what version of Elena she's going to get today.

"No thanks. I really just want to get away from this party."

"Well." A voice echoes from beyond the kitchen as Stefan appears on the threshold, a bottle of champagne and three glasses between his fingers. "I'm sure that can be arranged."

Elena smiles, and it's like the sun.

* * *

><p>She and Stefan and Elena spend the afternoon sunning themselves on a picnic blanket away from the rest of the party, sipping on champagne and feeding each other strawberries. It's nice, to have their Mystic Falls set together again in one place.<p>

The sun sinks below the horizon slowly and the fireflies come out, drawn to the sounds and the lights of the party. As if the darkening sky was a signal, the music coming from the house increases in volume and bass, a few whoops from partygoers floating down to their little bubble.

"Things are going to get messy now. I should probably go and rescue Damon before he falls into the pool." Elena says with a sigh, climbing to her feet and smoothing down the front of her simple black dress.

She looks happier, lighter, far more relaxed than she had hours before. She thinks that it's mostly in part to her and Stefan, but she can blame a little bit of it on the alcohol as well.

Stefan unfolds his tall form from the ground as well, holding out a hand and pulling her to her feet.

"Knowing my brother, someone's far more likely to push him in." He mumbles under his breath as he steers both of them back over the lawn. Someone would be by later to pick up the glasses and the picnic rug and the empty champagne bottle.

As always, Elena's assumption of the party proves to be correct. She very quickly loses count of the writhing bodies in front of her, moving to the beat of the heavy bass line. Neon coloured drinks are being passed around and she grabs two from a passing waiter, palming one off to Stefan.

"I'm going to find Kol and try and keep him out of trouble!" She yells towards Stefan, who tilts his head towards her in acknowledgement before peeling off into the party.

She squeezes around a group of particularly exuberant girls flinging their hair around and giggling into their drinks. She hides her smile, remembering a time when she was that young and carefree.

She downs her drink quickly, pausing on the threshold between the pool and the interior of the house. The lights are dimmed and the party has well and truly spilled over into the mansion.

She makes a beeline for the bar, keeping an eye out all the while for a familiar head of messy brown hair. Drumming her hands against the marble bar top, because Damon is nothing if not ostentatious when it comes to decorating, she requests another drink from the bartender.

"Hello sweetheart."

She freezes, squeezing her eyes shut because no, this absolutely cannot be happening right now. She waits until her drink is firmly in hand before turning.

Niklaus Mikaelson is leaning up against the bar next to her, a little too close for comfort. He's dressed far more casually than most of the partygoers here drink in hand and a smirk that gives her shivers.

She can't do anything, can't move because he's got her trapped in this really intense gaze, one that gives her an obvious once over and that finally causes her to shift because is he checking her out?

"Klaus Mikaelson." She finally pronounces lightly, trying to keep it casual. She will not let this man see just how much she's on edge right now.

If the smirk now spreading across Klaus' face is any indication, it didn't work.

"Can I get you a drink?" He asks politely, body shifting slightly towards hers as he leans forward.

"I'm fine. Thanks." She replies, taking a gulp of her neon blue concoction to drive the point home.

The song changes to one of her favourites as she tilts her head to the side, a smile slowly creeping across her face.

"Is there a particular reason why you're talking to me?" She asks curiously, as Klaus swirls his glass around experimentally, eyeing off his own drink. She bites back her laughter when his nose wrinkles.

"I owe you an apology love. For standing you up the other night. I'm sorry if I caused you insult." He says in a low voice, looking at her up through his eyelashes.

She looks away, trying to gather her thoughts, because apparently the Mikaelson charm _did _run in the family. Klaus might have been out of practice, but he must know surely that every move, every expression, every cadence of his voice was designed for manipulation and flattery and seduction.

And right now she's having a really hard time keeping it together. She swallows audibly before turning her gaze on him once more.

"It's totally fine, no harm done, we can go our separate ways. I promise I'll still buy your next record." She ticks off the points on her fingers before she lets out a breath, turning again to scan the crowd for Kol.

She's surprised then, when Klaus steps forward and curls a hand around her wrist, effectively halting her in her tracks.

"I was hoping I could talk to you actually." He replies quietly, lowering his voice as a group of three women squeeze past them, curious glances thrown their way. A part of her realises that this is a rare thing, seeing Klaus Mikaelson out and about.

He'd always been a recluse by nature, choosing a quiet night in over a rowdy party like this, and especially with the whole committed relationship that had so spectacularly imploded. But it's the look in his eyes, the vulnerability that gives her pause.

Against her better judgement, she nods in agreement as Klaus draws her a little further into the house. Memory takes over for her as she leads him silently through the many rooms to the back of the house, which is usually strictly off limits on nights like tonight.

Just to be safe, she pushes on the glass door of the balcony, stepping out into the warm summer air.

"Okay shoot. What do you want to talk about?" She asks him suddenly, wanting to have the upper hand in this conversation.

"Again, I apologise for my behaviour the other day. It wasn't proper of me." Klaus repeats, having discarded his drink back in the house.

"I understand. You're in a difficult place. I wouldn't want to date anyone either, arranged or not." She says with a quick smile before averting her gaze.

"Would you be… open to the idea still?" He asks, slowly, hesitantly, like he's afraid of rejection or being shut down.

"Why?" She blurts out suddenly, turning once more to face him. "You made it very clear that you didn't need me or Elena the other day. And now you're back pedalling because you've had a taste of what it's like out here, and you know you can't handle it?"

"Yes." He says promptly, startling her into silence. Whatever she'd been expecting, this brutal honesty from him hadn't been it.

"I'm sorry. But that ship has sailed. I was never going to be a pretty face that showed up when it was convenient for you. I have my own life as well, and it sure as hell wasn't going to revolve around yours. I'm sorry about your breakup." She says a little coolly as she turns to head back into the house.

Klaus stares at her, a blush staining his cheeks at her words. It's probably been a long time that anyone's spoken to him like that she realises, he's probably used to everyone sugar coating the truth and monitoring their words around him.

"What can I do to change your mind?"

She sighs, turning to face him once more.

"Surprise me."

* * *

><p>The next day finds her waking up in her own bed, Stefan no doubt having seen her home alright.<p>

She strains her ears or any sounds of Kol cooking up a storm in the kitchen, and sighs in relief when she hears nothing.

Sometimes it's nice to just be alone.

With a yawn she plants her feet on the wooden floorboards, reaching for a robe and shrugging it on before padding out into the kitchen.

She hums absentmindedly to herself as the kettle comes to a boil, and she's surprised at how awake she feels despite the alcohol she consumed last night.

After leaving Klaus on the balcony she'd found Stefan and then Kol in quick succession, the latter challenging her to a dance off that she simply couldn't refuse.

She'd tag teamed with Stefan, and Kol had brought one of his band mates into the mix, and soon enough they'd drawn a crowd and Damon had begun a betting pool, getting one of LA's top choreographer's to pass as a judge.

Ultimately it had been Kol dazzling the crowd with his break dancing moves that had clinched him the win, but all in all it had been a good night.

She laughs to herself as she pours herself a mug, settling in opening up yesterdays newspaper that Kol had brought in with him.

She's a little surprised then, when someone starts pounding on her door. With a frustrated sigh she throws down the paper, fully prepared to have Kol forcibly removed from the premises for disturbing her peace.

"Kol I swear to god I will-" She trails off as she wrenches open the door, mouth falling open unattractively as she stares at the familiar face.

Klaus Mikaelson looks like sin in his boots and jeans and Henley, leaning up against the wall his aviators firmly in place to mask his most recognisable features. There's a guitar slung over his back and he's carrying a coffee tray and a bag containing some absolutely heavenly smells.

"Sorry to disappoint love." Klaus replies smoothly, bemused smile taking in her state of disarray.

She becomes very much aware of how dishevelled she must look, hair not brushed, makeup probably still smeared across her face from last night.

"What are you doing here?" She asks suddenly, still stunned at the fact that he's standing on the other side of the door. "Is that from Miguels?" She adds, glancing towards the bag.

Klaus holds it out to her, almost like a peace offering.

"Strawberry waffles and a caramel latte. Elena mentioned they were your favourites. And I wanted to thankyou for last night. For your honesty." He says with a tilt of his head.

_Mental note, find a way to creatively murder Elena and make it look like an accident. _

She takes the bag, and the coffee, clutching both to her chest somewhat protectively.

"You still haven't answered my question." She says a little accusingly, eyes narrowed towards him as he sighs.

He slips his aviators into his pocket, pushing off from the wall.

"I'm a mean bastard." He begins honestly. "Even my brother will tell you that I'm sure. But I can recognise when I need help. And Caroline, right now I need your help. I'm not in a good place right now with my record company. I understand you have reservations about this arrangement, and I promise now that I will do everything in my power to make you comfortable with this."

He pauses, giving her time to consider his words. She mulls them over, resting her head against one side of the wooden door frame.

And then with a sigh, she gestures for him to step inside her apartment.

"Come on in."

* * *

><p><strong>AN:<strong>

**Sorry this took so long guys! I really wanted to finish Uneasy Lies before starting this one, and I've been super busy finishing up my last few weeks at college. Next week is exams, so don't expect an update until at least next Thursday or Friday. **

**Next chapter Klaus and Caroline will hash some things out. Charming Klaus will be out in full force as well ;) **


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